#WhyIDidntReport vs. #MeToo: Comparing Ethical Considerations

Brigitte Meisse
bm179214@ohio.edu

We are in a new era - an era where people are encouraged to speak up, an era where you are no longer expected to suffer in silence and an era where you can find communities of unwavering support. A flood of sharing has taken over social media through the #MeToo movement. While there are now places where victims of sexual assault can speak up and be surrounded by similar stories and words of encouragement, there are also entire groups of negativity and doubt.

Recently, Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault by a high school classmate. As controversy grew over Kavanaugh, President Trump took to Twitter to defend his nominee saying, "If the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed."

Screenshot via @realDonaldTrump on Twitter

This criticism of Kavanaugh's accuser sparked outraged throughout social media and inspired an entirely new campaign called #WhyIDidntReport to show how victims are forced into silence or even fear coming forward.

When the #MeToo began, there were many ethical considerations journalists had to keep in mind when reporting on the movement. Some of these included remaining unbiased, understanding when to name victims and also never labeling the accused as a rapist. As a journalist, it's not our job determine the guilty parties in these situations and we must only stick to the facts.

As #WhyIDidntReport gains popularity, it also comes with a few things for journalists to remember. While reporting these narratives, journalists yet again must remain unbiased and stick to the facts.

Now you might be wondering, what's the difference?

Many of the narratives being shared through #WhyIDidntReport leave out the parties involved. Victims are often sharing their reason for not reporting rather than what happened and who was involved. The entire point of the campaign is to show that it's common to keep these horrific incidents hidden away. Without people being accused, there is more room to creatively and effectively share these stories and create a level of understanding and passion for the victims. Journalists can give more perspective on why these situations take place without wrongfully accusing individuals in the process. 

With that being said, there are people who share their #MeToo stories without making accusations and giving names, but it seems like #WhyIDidntReport is a lower risk topic. No matter which campaign a journalist covers, it must be done with extreme sensitivity. Sexual assault is a life changing occurrence and telling the story incorrectly can also change lives.

Ultimately, these stories give victims a chance to share and journalists a reason to listen. We must remember that details matter, truth matters and in these scenarios, proceeding with caution matters. There is no room for error in the era of #MeToo and #WhyIDidntReport.